


Fifteen Years

by Opalgirl



Category: Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-03
Updated: 2010-05-03
Packaged: 2017-10-15 08:49:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/159132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Opalgirl/pseuds/Opalgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the birth of her nephew, Queen Lianne no longer wants a male heir. She simply wants a child.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fifteen Years

**Author's Note:**

> Based on quasi-canon (an author statement) that Roger was fifteen when Jonathan was born. His mother as she appears here is an OFC of my own creation.

Lianne halted at the soft feminine voice coming from the nursery. She had listened to the nurses sing her nephew to sleep for weeks, but hadn't heard that particular lullaby. She steeled herself before entering the royal nursery. Her brother-in-law's wife sat, smiling at the baby in her arms as if he was her whole world.

 

"Your Majesty." Princess Fahira, the Barzunni-born wife of Roald's brother, made to get to her feet.

 

Lianne shook her head. "I did not mean to interrupt."

 

Fahira stroked the baby's tiny hand. "Would Your Majesty like to hold him?"

 

Lianne's heart clenched. It was not the realm's succession that concerned her. Politics and her marital duty left her mind when she saw Fahira with the baby. She tried to smile, briefly. "Certainly."

 

When she was seated, Fahira placed the baby in her arms. Would a child of hers look like this? Lianne wondered, marveling at the blue eyes and tiny features. Tears burned at her eyes and, ashamed, she turned away and bit her lip.

 

She had tried. It no longer mattered—she did not want an heir. She merely wanted a _child_ —a little son or daughter to rock in their cradle, to sing to sleep, to hold in her arms—that was _hers_.

 

"It won't be long," Fahira said kindly, her hand gentle on Lianne's shoulder. "I'm sure of it."

 

Little did she know it would be fifteen long years before Lianne was able to sing her own child to sleep.


End file.
